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Philippine comics
Comics in the Philippines ( ) are widespread and popular throughout the country from the 1920s to the present. Komiks were partially inspired by American mainstream comic strips and comic books during the early 20th century. Particularly after World War II, the medium became widely popular, though its mainstream appeal has subsided somewhat with the advent of other mass-media forms such as telenovelas. Webcomics produced by independent Filipino web-based artists have recently caught the attention of local and foreign readers. The word komiks is simply the English word "comics," adapted to fit the orthography of native Filipino languages such as Tagalog. History Origins While the first indigenous cartoons may be traced to José Rizal's fable "The Monkey and the Tortoise" (1889), the origins of the mainstream komiks industry would not arise until after the Spanish–American War. In the 1920s, Liwayway magazine began running comic strips under the direction of Romualdo Ramos and Tony Velasquez, such as the still-running Mga Kabalbalan ni Kenkoy (The Misadventures of Kenkoy). Valasquez is considered the father of Filipino comics."Filipino Artist Tony Velasquez – Founding Father of Philippine Komiks (Comics)," AllPhilippines.com. Evolution Originally inspired by American comic strips and comic books left behind by American GIs, the medium steadily diverged, and by the 1950s, drew more inspiration from other forms of Filipino literature such as komedya, as well as Philippine mythology. Many komiks were evidently inspired by specific American comics, such as Kulafu and Og (Tarzan), Darna (Captain Marvel), and D. I. Trece (Dick Tracy). The predominance of superheroes has continued into the modern day. However, other characters such as Dyesebel draw more from traditional folklore. Breaking into the American comics scene In the late 1960s, Filipino artist Tony DeZuniga broke into the American comics industry. In 1971, DC Comics editor Joe Orlando and editor-in-chief Carmine Infantino traveled to the Philippines on a recruiting trip.Duncan, Randy and Smith, Matthew J. "Filipino Artists," The Power of Comics: History, Form & Culture (Continuum, 2009). Alfredo Alcala, Mar Amongo, Ernie Chan, Alex Niño, Nestor Redondo, and Gerry Talaoc were some of the Filipino komik artists who went on to work for DC, particularly in the 1970s and '80s. A similar trip by Pendulum Press editor Vincent Fago led to a great number of Filipino artists working on the Pendulum Now Age Classics series, black-and-white comic book adaptations of literary classics which were published from 1973–1980. Visiting the Philippines in 1970, Fago teamed with Nestor Redondo to recruit Flipino artists for Pendulum.Fago, Vincent, "Nestor Redondo and the Pendulum Classics," in Arthur Conan Doyle: Rosebud Graphic Classics (Eureka Productions, 2002), pp. 4-6. In addition to the work of Redondo, who illustrated more than 20 books in the series, the Pendulum Illustrated Classics featured the artwork of Alex Niño,Arndt, Richard J. "A 2005 Interview with Steve Bissette about Bizarre Adventures!" Enjolrasworld.com: Marvel’s Black & White Horror Magazines Checklist. Accessed May 8, 2013. Gerry Talaoc,Gerry Talaoc at Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Vicatan, Rudy Nebres, Jun Lofamia, Nestor Leonidez, and E. R. Cruz. (Redondo's brothers Virgilio and Frank also illustrated books in the series.) Beginning in 1978 and lasting until about 1983, the black-and-white comics magazine publisher Warren Publishing also utilized the talents of a number of Filipino artists, including Niño, Nebres, and Alcala. From the mid-1980s on, fewer Filipino artist found work in the American comics industry, the exceptions being DeZuniga, Chan, Alcala, and Talaoc. Popularity At one point, between 33 to 40 percent of Filipinos read komiks, but this number has since dwindled somewhat due to competition from other media forms.Macaraig, Mynardo. ‘KOMIKS’ INDUSTRY FIGHTS FOR SURVIVAL, Planet Philippines (October 17, 2010). More recently, comic artists have begun producing what is often called "Pinoy Manga,""Top 100 Pinoy Komiks," Filipiniana.net. inspired largely by Japanese anime and manga, which have been widely available in the Philippines since the 1970s. See also * List of Filipino komik artists * List of Filipino superheroes * List of Filipino supervillains Notes References * The Philippine Comics Art Museum * Celebrating 120 Years of Komiks From the Philippines I: The History of Komiks, Newsarama, October 19, 2006 * Celebrating 120 Years of Komiks From the Philippines II: The Future of Komiks, Newsarama, October 21, 2006 * Lent, John A. (2009) The First One Hundred Years of Philippine Komiks and Cartoons. Boboy Yonzon. * Roxas, Cynthia and Joaquin Arevalo, Jr. A History of komiks of the Philippines and other countries, with contributions by Soledad S. Reyes, Karina Constantino-David, Efren Abueg; edited by Ramon R. Marcelino External links * Original comic fable "The Monkey and the Tortoise" illustrated by Dr. José Rizal * "Kenkoy kick-started komiks" article *